Reviews

The Keeper of Happy Endings by Barbara Davis

book_reader_lover's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A dual timeline between WWII and 1985, with 2 POV's.  An enjoyable, heartfelt read.  

Rory is dealing with an overbearing mother and her finance, Hux, being kidnapped in Sudan.  She doesn't know if he is alive or dead.  Her mother doesn't understand why she doesn't move on.

Soline is a woman dealing with hurt.  She's lost every person and thing she ever loved.  She was once a seamstress that made beautiful dresses but after a fire at her boutique she can no longer sew.  She hasn't been able to get part with her shop.

Two women destined to meet.  They help each other.  One with how to deal with not knowing if your love is alive, the other with helping you to learn how to live again.

Barbara Davis is an amazing writer.  This is the second book I have read by her and I loved it.  She has strong women characters that survive regardless of their circumstances.  Rory and Soline both developed throughout the book, as well as the minor characters.  After reading, I felt like I was leaving friends.  Davis writes in a way that transfers the reader into each scene.  I felt everything each character was going through.

If you haven't read a book by Barbara Davis, you need to go to your local library or book store and grab one.  I plan on reading everything she writes.

#carlislepubliclibrary #lonokecountylibrarysystem
#barbaradavis #keeperofhappyendings #readaway2024 #alphabetchallenge2024 (k)

arianassz's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

sunzreads's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

The Keeper of Happy Endings by Barbara Davis is a story of three women of different generations who hold heartbreaking stories of loss and hope. It is told from dual perspectives at different points in time giving more insight into Soline's life as a Resistance volunteer during the Second World War in Paris and a seamstress and businesswoman in Boston, and Rory's relationship with her mother, Camilla, both of them are living in Boston as well.


The Keeper of Happy Endings is written well but didn't captivate me as much as the Last of the Moon Girls, the first Barbara Davis novel I read. Some parts of the plot are familiar and the twist is predictable. However, it's still a good read because the characters are interesting, and the themes -- war, power of wealth, family, hope, and love -- engendered self-reflection questions.

mrsipson's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

This book has it all and then some!

I enjoyed this so very much! I will be adding this to my book club recommendation for next year. Bittersweet throughout. Love the history and how the two stories run parallel. The ending may me cry. Read this book! Also loved the narrators when I listened instead of read myself.

kbrumbley96_'s review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

catherineamerica's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

rosemwood's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

I thought the whole story was good. The bases of this story is second chances. Hope, love, and loss helped develop the characters. Second chances had you falling for the characters and hoping for their happy ever after. I have read some reviews staying that it was a slow start but I didn't feel that way. Maybe because I listened to it on audio instead of read it.

klimeido's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

looking4alexis's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

"To ensure a happy ending, a bride must be willing to give her whole heart to the man she marries. Her spine, however, must at all times remain her own"

wow... beautifully written, an exceptional story. i loved solines chapters - i felt so deeply for her and i'm happy with her ending. i absolutely will be thinking of these characters for weeks to come ❤️

lynnuwatson's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

This is a beautiful story of loss, heartache, family relationships, forgiveness, restoration. Kindred spirits, Soline and Rory, forge a beautiful bond. They are wonderful characters you will love from the very start. To say more would mean spoilers.

(The spiritual view presented differs from my own, but it did not at all diminish my enjoyment of the story.)